Sensor With CMOS Circuitry and Sensor Structure on Opposing Silicon Substrate Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor technologies require larger surface areas and higher power consumption due to separate integration of integrated circuitry and sensor structures, leading to increased costs and physical volume, and lack efficient methods for overlapping IC and sensor components on a silicon substrate.
Innovation Solution
Integrating complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry and sensor structures on opposing surfaces of a single silicon substrate with through-silicon vias (TSVs) for electrical coupling, allowing overlapping areas and reduced physical volume, and using sensor materials like polyimide for enhanced environmental sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If integrated circuitry and sensor structures are integrated onto the same silicon substrate, then manufacturing costs and processing costs are reduced, but the areas occupied by IC and sensor structure may overlap requiring three-dimensional integration techniques
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar integration to three-dimensional integration by placing the integrated circuitry on the front surface and the sensor structure on the back surface of the silicon substrate. This vertical stacking approach allows overlapping areas to be utilized effectively, reducing the total device area while enabling cost-effective manufacturing through standard silicon processing techniques.
2Volume of moving object
If through-silicon vias are used to electrically couple IC and sensor structure, then electrical connection is achieved with minimal volume occupation, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
Through-silicon vias serve as intermediary conductive pathways that penetrate the silicon substrate to establish electrical connections between the integrated circuitry on the front surface and the sensor structure on the back surface. This intermediary connection method enables compact three-dimensional integration while utilizing standard semiconductor processing techniques.
3Measurement precision
If sensor materials like polyimide are used for environmental sensing, then sensing performance is enhanced, but the sensor requires additional material layers increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor structure utilizes composite materials including polyimide layers deposited on the back surface of the silicon substrate. These polyimide materials provide enhanced environmental sensing capabilities for detecting gases, humidity, and other environmental parameters, while the thin-film deposition process integrates these additional material layers efficiently into the overall device structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A sensor (100) comprising a silicon substrate (102; 202; 302; 402) having a first (202a; 302a; 402a) and a second surface (202b; 302b; 402b), integrated circuitry (104; 206; 306; 406) provided on the first surface (202a; 302a; 402a) of the silicon substrate (102; 202; 302; 402), and a sensor structure (106; 205; 305; 405) provided on the second surface (202b; 302b; 402b) of the silicon substrate (102; 202; 302; 402). The sensor structure (106; 205; 305; 405) and the integrated circuitry (104; 206; 306; 406) are electrically coupled to each other.